BCC to avail more housing stands

THE Bulawayo City Council will soon avail more housing stands to residents in a bid to reduce the housing backlog which is sitting at more than 100 000, Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo has said.

Before, the local authority had no specific plans to ease the accommodation challenges the city is facing.

In an interview yesterday, Clr Moyo said tenders to develop stands in different areas in the city had already been floated and the local authority was looking forward to reducing the housing backlog.

He could not be drawn into revealing how many stands would be availed for home seekers, saying the local authority was still working on various projects to provide land to the people of Bulawayo.

"We have a number of housing projects that we are working on to reduce the backlog that is a big challenge in the city. We have already floated tenders to develop land in different areas and we hope to reduce the backlog through these projects," said Clr Moyo.

"I cannot tell right now how many stands we will be able to sell, but we will be working in partnership with different organisations that will determine the number of housing stands to be provided."

Clr Moyo said the local authority would sell stands in low, medium and high density areas to cater for all home seekers.

"We are looking at pre-selling most of the stands and also selling land to land developers who will develop the stands and sell them to home seekers at affordable prices in all areas.

"We will, however, put more emphasis on the high-density suburbs where there is a high demand for the stands.

"We will also work in partnership with the Government in a number of housing projects that will see home seekers benefiting," said Clr Moyo.

He warned bogus land developers against cheating home seekers, saying the local authority would come up with a way to get rid of such land developers in the communities.

"We have had a problem in the past years with bogus land developers. As the city council we will try and see how we can do without such people.

"We are not saying goodbye to all the land developers because we have successfully worked with others, but all land developers should understand that they have to follow certain rules and regulations in order for us to accept them and work with them for the benefit of homeseekers."

The Government introduced the Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle housing project to alleviate accommodation challenges through the construction of new structures, but thousands of people continue to live in squalid conditions.

Property owners and estate agents are quoting high prices for houses and stands, making home seekers prefer to apply for stands through the city council.